# Stephen Fry uses his Twitter presence to help fundraising appeal - Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/02/24/stephen-fry-uses-his-twitter-presence-help-fundraising-appeal/ - Published: 2009-02-24T18:36:30+00:00 - Author: Howard Lake **Comedian and author Stephen Fry has used his high-profile Twitter account to help boost donations for the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust, following a direct appeal via a Twitter message from the father of a sick child.** [James Morley-Smith](http://twitter.com/morleyj) spotted that Fry had grown up in the street in which he now lived. That was enough of a link to encourage him to reach Fry via his Twitter account. One hour later [Morley-Fry thanked Fry](http://twitter.com/morleyj/status/1154859472) via Twitter: ## Advertisement [⌊Posthub advert. You create the campaign. We'll handle the postal journey. Get started at post-hub.co.uk.⌉](https://fundraising.co.uk/ads/posthub-20261007-300x250/) _“@stephenfry Thank U so much. Many sponsors already + a lot of hits, great 4 the awareness. 4 any 1 interested, an update http://bit.ly/PrLy”._ Fry’s presence on Twitter is significant. He has 227,098 followers or people that have opted in to receive his messages. When he passed on the appeal on behalf of Morley-Smith he had a mere 100,000 followers, so you get a sense both of how popular Fry is and of the growth of Twitter in the past month or so. The response was so rapid and positive that Morley-Smith doubled his fundraising target on Justgiving from £2,000 to £4,000. Morley-Smith of High Wycombe was also able to demonstrate via Twitter the [impact of one of the links to a news item about his campaign](http://bit.ly/info/68MG) that he had posted on Twitter. A good example of luck, timing, targeting and the quirky power of social media. * **[Twitter hashtag raises funds for CARE](https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/03/03/twitter-hashtag-raises-funds-care/)**( 3 March 2009) * **[Lessons on the 48-hour Twitter Tree campaign](https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/03/05/lessons-48hour-twitter-tree-campaign/)**( 5 March 2009) * **[ActionAid promote Put People First G20 protest march with a Twitter-powered superhero](https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/03/28/actionaid-promote-put-people-first-g20-protest-march-twitterpowered-superhero/)**( 28 March 2009)